Balance assembly of an exercise auxiliary system

ABSTRACT

A balance assembly adapted for an exercise auxiliary system includes a base, a supporting seat pivotally engaged with the base, multiple springs sandwiched between the supporting seat and the base to support the base and a fixed seat slidably connected to the supporting seat via wheels mounted on opposite sides of the supporting seat. The base has two phases, a pre-movement phase and an in-movement phase. In the pre-movement phase, the base is still resulted from supporting force from the springs and in the in-movement phase, the base rocks.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a balance assembly, and moreparticularly to a balance assembly adapted to be attached to an exerciseauxiliary system so that the operator of the exercise auxiliary systemis able to simultaneously work on the muscles and improve his/herbalance ability.

2. Description of the Prior Art

An exercise system normally is aimed to work on the user's muscles ofdifferent parts so that the user is able to have better shape andenhanced endurance to load added to the user. A different exercise isYoga or Pilate, which exercises not only the user's body extension(stretching) capability, but also the user's concentration in thespiritual level.

However, no matter what the currently available exercise systems or theauxiliary exercise systems are aimed for, they are all provided to workon the body muscles, endurance or stretching capabilities. Therefore,after a period of time repeatedly using the same exercise utility, theuser's body shape may deform in that only a portion of the body muscleis worked on, which increases the muscle endurance and strength in thatparticular portion. Other body muscles lacking exercise will becomeweaker and weaker. As a result, the user has to constantly changehis/her exercise machines to accomplish the purpose of maintaining greatbody shape. Nevertheless, no exercise system is able to simultaneouslywork on the body and practice the user's balance. Because balancing iscrucial in all kinds of exercises and it requires full bodycoordination, it is necessary to practice balancing technique in allopportunities available.

To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention tends to provide animproved balance assembly to mitigate the aforementioned problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide an improvedbalance assembly to work on the user's balancing technique as well asthe full body coordination.

In order to accomplish the aforementioned objective, the balanceassembly of the present invention includes an elongated base, asupporting seat underneath and pivotally connected to the base and afixed seat slidably connected to the supporting seat. Multiple springsare provided between the base and the supporting seat. The supportingseat has multiple wheels respectively and rotatably received in tracksformed in the fixed seat such that when the supporting seat as well asthe elongated seat is slidable relative to the fixed seat via therelationship between the wheels and the tracks, the springs provide asupporting force to the user's body weight.

Another objective of the present invention is that multiple threadedrods are securely mounted on the supporting seat and each threaded rodhas a sleeve threadingly connected to the threaded rod such thatthreadingly extending the sleeves allows the sleeves to support theelongated base thus movement of the elongated base resulted from thesprings is stopped.

Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention willbecome more apparent from the following detailed description when takenin conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side plan view showing the structural relationship of partsof the balance assembly of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an operational side plan view showing that the threaded rodsare threadingly extended to abut a bottom face of the elongated base soas to support the elongated base;

FIG. 3 is a schematic side plan view showing that the balance assemblyof the present invention is adapted to an exercise auxiliary system; and

FIG. 4 is an operational view showing the movement of the balanceassembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference to FIG. 1, it is noted that the balance assembly inaccordance with the present invention includes an elongated base (10), asupporting seat (20) and a fixed seat (30).

The elongated base (10) is provided for a purpose on which the user isable to kneel down, sit on or lie down for operation of whatever thebalance assembly is attached to. Detailed description of the attachmentof the balance assembly to an exercise auxiliary system will bedescribed later. The elongated base (10) has an extension (11) formed ona bottom face of the elongated base (10).

The supporting seat (20) has a triangular connecting block (21) formedon a top face of the supporting seat (20) to correspond to the extension(11) of the elongated seat (10). A securing element, such as a pin (A),is able to extend through the extension (11) and the connecting block(21) to pivotally engage the supporting seat to the elongated seat (10).

Multiple securing devices (40) are formed on opposite sides of the topface of the supporting seat (20) and each securing device includes asleeve (41) movably mounted on the top face of the supporting seat (20),a path (410) defined through both ends of the sleeve (41) and a threadedrod (411) having a proximal end securely affixed onto the top face ofthe supporting seat (20) and a distal end to threadingly extend into thepath (410) of the sleeve (41). In addition, multiple springs (42) arealso provided at the opposite sides on the top face of the supportingseat (20) and each spring (42) is provided with a pad (43) on a free endof the spring (42) to abut a bottom face of the elongated base (10). Thesupporting seat (20) has a substantially U-shaped cross section so thatmultiple wheels (44) are rotatably mounted on two opposite sides of thesupporting seat (20).

The fixed seat (30) is aimed at standing on a surface, i.e. groundsurface, such that there are multiple legs (31) extending from a bottomface of the fixed seat (30) and each legs (31) has a lug (32) extendingoutward therefrom so that when the fixed seat (30) is situated on a softsurface, the lugs (32) are able to penetrate the soft surface to firmlystand the entire fixed seat (30). Furthermore, a track (33) formed bystamping is formed on opposite sides of the fixed seat (30) so as torotatably receive therein the wheels (44) of the securing devices (40).

As depicted by FIG. 1, it is noted that normally the elongated base (10)is supported by the springs (42) via the pads (43). However, if the userdecides not to use the springs (42) as a supporting means, the user maythreadingly extend the sleeves (41) to use distal ends of each of thesleeves (41) to abut the bottom face of the elongated base (10) and theelongated seat (10) is rigid and immovable, as shown in FIG. 2.

With reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, it is noted that when the balanceassembly is adapted to an exercise auxiliary system, such as a Pilatesauxiliary system, and the elongated base (10) is supported by thesprings (42), a user lying (with his face down or up), kneeling down orsitting on the elongated seat (10) with his feet rested on the feet rest(not numbered) is able to use the wheels (44) to move on the fixed seat(30). While the user is moving on the fixed seat (30), due to thesupporting force from the springs (42), the elongated seat (10) rocks.In order to continuously work or practice the auxiliary system, the userhas to maintain his balance on top of the elongated seat (10), whichrequires full body strength to maintain steady on the elongated seat(10). Thus, simultaneously, the user is able to work on his muscles of aparticular body part and his balance skills.

It is to be understood, however, that even though numerouscharacteristics and advantages of the present invention have been setforth in the foregoing description, together with details of thestructure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrativeonly, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape,size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention tothe full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms inwhich the appended claims are expressed.

1. A balance assembly adapted for an exercise auxiliary system, thebalance assembly comprising: a base; a supporting seat pivotally engagedwith the base; multiple springs sandwiched between the supporting seatand the base to support the base such that the base has two phases, apre-movement phase and an in-movement phase, wherein in the pre-movementphase, the base is still resulted from supporting force from thesprings, in the in-movement phase, the base rocks; and a fixed seatslidably connected to the supporting seat via wheels mounted on oppositesides of the supporting seat.
 2. The balance assembly as claimed inclaim 1, wherein each of the springs has a pad formed on an end thereofso that the springs are connected to a bottom face of the base via thepads.
 3. The balance assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the basehas an extension formed on the bottom face of the base and thesupporting seat has a connecting block formed on a top face of thesupporting seat to correspond to the extension of the base so that a pinis able to extend through the extension and the connecting block tocomplete the pivotal engagement between the base and the supportingseat.
 4. The balance assembly as claimed in claim 1 further comprisingmultiple securing devices mounted on two opposite sides of a top face ofthe supporting seat to selectively immobilize the base relative to thesupporting seat.
 5. The balance assembly as claimed in claim 2 furthercomprising multiple securing devices mounted on two opposite sides of atop face of the supporting seat to selectively immobilize the baserelative to the supporting seat.
 6. The balance assembly as claimed inclaim 3 further comprising multiple securing devices mounted on twoopposite sides of the top face of the supporting seat to selectivelyimmobilize the base relative to the supporting seat.
 7. The balanceassembly as claimed in claim 5, wherein each securing device includes athreaded rod securely mounted on a top face of the supporting seat and asleeve movably connected to the threaded rod and having a path tothreadingly receive therein the threaded rod such that the sleeve isable to be threadingly extended relative to the threaded rod to abut thebottom face of the base so as to immobilize the base.
 8. The balanceassembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein each securing device includes athreaded rod securely mounted on a top face of the supporting seat and asleeve movably connected to the threaded rod and having a path tothreadingly receive therein the threaded rod such that the sleeve isable to be threadingly extended relative to the threaded rod to abut thebottom face of the base so as to immobilize the base.
 9. The balanceassembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein the fixed seat has a trackformed on two opposite sides of the fixed seat to rotatably receivetherein the wheels of the supporting seat.
 10. The balance assembly asclaimed in claim 7, wherein the fixed seat has a track formed on twoopposite sides of the fixed seat to rotatably receive therein the wheelsof the supporting seat.
 11. The balance assembly as claimed in claim 8,wherein the fixed seat has a track formed on two opposite sides of thefixed seat to rotatably receive therein the wheels of the supportingseat.